James McGrath, one of Australia’s most legendary creatives was inducted into the AWARD Hall of Fame at a gala dinner at This Way Up, AWARD’s signature creative festival in Sydney on August 15.
McGrath, who recently retired as chair of the Clemenger Group Creative Board, is the 21st Hall of Fame inductee.
Cam Blackley, AWARD chair, commented, “The AWARD Hall of Fame is reserved for the best of the very best, pioneers who have defined a generation and shaped creativity. Those that have made it to the top, stayed and will always remain there. The very few we can call legends.
“This year’s AWARD committee voted unanimously for James due to the enormous impact he’s had on the industry by raising Australia’s creative profile globally, building an unsurpassed legacy of leadership and supporting the careers of countless industry creatives.”
McGrath’s career began in Melbourne in the mid-eighties. The design graduate of Swinburne joined Box Emery and Partners before moving to Y&R as creative director at just 27.
Then at George Patterson, he created the famous Big Ad for Carlton United Breweries:
In 2006, he joined Clemenger BBDO as executive creative director before being promoted to the global board and ANZ creative chair and spent more than sixteen years overseeing its progress.
McGrath’s commitment to brilliant, effective creativity guided Clemenger to ranking among the top ten agencies in the world consistently. Campaigns such as Bonds The Boys, Snickers Hungerithm, Carlton Draught Beer Chase, TAC’s Meet Graham and NAB’s Breakup accrued over 50 Cannes Lions and more than 60 Spikes among an array of awards at globally recognised shows such as D&AD and One Show.
Under McGrath’s leadership Clemenger won multiple APAC Agency of the Decade awards, a D&AD Black Pencil and Cannes Lions Agency of the Year.
McGrath has also identified and nurtured top talent such as Ant Keogh, Tom Martin, Julian Schrieber, Evan Roberts and Stephen de Wolf.
McGrath commented, “I’m grateful to AWARD for this incredible honour, and to all the organisations I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve never underestimated the power of creativity to solve the greatest problems and that’s due to the intergenerational creative culture of Clemenger. The championing of creativity has been all-defining as a result. Creativity is always the answer.”
McGrath joins Award Hall Of Fame Inductees:
2021: Sarah Barclay, Faie Davis & Warren Brown
2016: Tom McFarlane
2014: David Blackley
2013: David Droga
2012: The Campaign Palace
2011: Ray Lawrence
2010: Ray Black
2009: Alan Johnstone, Alan Morris, Bob Isherwood, David Denneen, Gordon Trembath, Jack Vaughan, John Bevins, Kim Thorpe, Lionel Hunt, Neil French, Ron Mather
